The invention relates to a gas bag for protecting a vehicle occupant in the event of an accident.
German laid-open publication 196 40 322 A1 (incorporated by reference herein) discloses a gas bag. In this gas bag, a control band keeps an outflow orifice of the gas bag open until the gas bag has reached a predetermined state of deployment. As soon as the predetermined state of deployment is reached, the control band tears off and a closing element closes the outflow orifice of the gas bag. This gas bag has this outflow orifice, which is still open at the commencement of inflation and is closed only thereafter, arranged with a view to what are known as “out of position” situations. “Out of position” situations are those situations in which the vehicle occupant to be protected by the airbag does not assume the normal sitting position, but an abnormal sitting position, and in particular to a sitting position in which the vehicle occupant is very close to the still undeployed airbag or gas bag and is therefore struck with full force by the inflating gas bag. In order to avoid serious injuries to the vehicle occupant in such “out of position” situations, the outflow orifice is provided in the gas bag, where the outflow orifice is initially still open during the inflation of the gas bag, so that if there is premature contact of the gas bag with the vehicle occupant, the gas can escape from the gas bag so that the impact of the gas bag on the vehicle occupant is markedly diminished. When the gas bag has then reached or exceeded a predetermined state of deployment or “inflation state”, it may be assumed that there is no “out of position” situation, but, instead, the vehicle occupant assumes his normal sitting position. From this moment, the outflow orifice can then be closed. This closing is carried out to ensure that the gas bag is inflated as quickly as possible and reaches its final state, that is to say its final size and final pressure, as quickly as possible.
Furthermore, the European laid-open publication EP 0 788 933 A2 (incorporated by reference herein) discloses a gas bag with two part gas bags, in which there is an overflow orifice, through which the gas can flow out of one part gas bag over into the other part gas bag (and vice versa).